Monthly Archives: November 2011

Now with the Thanksgiving holiday behind us and the last bits of turkey thigh (I roasted turkey thighs, rather than the entire bird, and so glad that I did – not a fan of breast meat), rib roast, sides and desserts still sitting in the fridge, it was time for something light and delicately flavored. It’s been leftovers for lunch, every day since.

Because Thanksgiving dinner happened rather spontaneously, I did not post any recipes. I will do something next year – I promise.

Now back to the salmon. I decided to use salmon for this dish; another popular fish choice is black cod – which I’m sure many people have had in a Japanese restaurant. The miso paste can also be used for meats. The longer you allow to marinade, the deeper the flavor will be – overnight would be ideal. I only marinated for an hour. The veggies cook up quickly and can be prepared when the fish goes in the oven.

In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for miso paste. Thoroughly coat salmon in miso paste and let marinate, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Wash bok choy and cut in half lengthwise. Check for dirt and sand that gets trapped close to the stalk – two or three rinses may be needed. The last thing anyone wants is to crunch on some sand. Let all water drain well before cooking.

Preheat oven on broil setting to 450 F. Remove any excess marinade, place fish on a baking sheet lined with foil. Broil for 7-8 mins. Check for doneness. The fish should be nicely caramelized all around and just barely cooked through.

While the fish cooks in the oven, in sauté pan or wok over high heat, add oil and wait until hot. Add veggies, stir fry for 30 seconds. Add salt and sugar, and toss around. Add stock and cover for 3-4 minutes until cook through and but still crisp. And now plate up the veggies and the fish should be just about ready.

Like this:

Friends of ours, a few days back, so generously gifted us a beautiful huge sole (thanks, Gr & Van!). After some reading, I found a recipe from Jamie Oliver for a baked sole that conveniently used many of the same ingredients I had already acquired for Eric Ripert’s Chicken Palliard with Tomatoes, Fennel and Olives the day before. I actually don’t mind eating something two days in a row, especially if it’s a flavor combination that I find myself desperately craving again.

Much to my amused surprise, however, the two dishes were actually quite different. Oliver’s recipe called for a couple of lemons while Ripert’s added raisins instead. The subtle change in ingredients interestingly enough gave two completely distinct finishes despite other common ingredients: the former focused on tartness and tanginess while the latter highlighted with sweetness.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F). Place tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, and onion into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Combine everything thoroughly, salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the mixture into a single layer covering the bottom of a roasting pan or dish (large enough to hold the sole). Next, rinse and dry the fish. Using a sharp knife, cut several slits across the fish, 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart and with depth hitting the bone to allow juices to penetrate. Place the fish on top of the bed of tomatoes.

Finally, using the same mixing bowl as before, combine chopped olives, parsley, and the juice and zest of the second lemon. Add another drizzle of olive oil and mix to combine. Lay the mixture evenly on top of the fish. Make sure to pour all juices in as well. Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. Check the fish for doneness by piercing with a knife; the flesh should flake easily from the bone. I ended up adding on another 3 minutes on top, since the sole was relatively meaty.

Our fish, in the raw, came with rough little scales intact; I have yet to acquire any fish cleaning skills and usually rely on the fishmonger to do the dirty work (“¿Es posible para limpiar el pescado?”). Thus, after one panicked phone call to Van (“the fish has … scales!?”) and her polite consultation, I served the fish filleted, sans skin after cooking. With a few big heaping spoonfuls of tomatoes and sauce, garnished with fresh parsley, and alongside a bed of red rice, it was lovely… again(ish).

Like this:

Yesterday, I reverted back to Eric Ripert’s beautiful recipe collection. He had one for a chicken palliard inspired by the flavours of Chianti, Italy that I admittedly already tested out a few weeks back. However, though on the first try the chicken turned out good, hubby politely said – there’s something missing. I don’t know how he figured me out (or rather he knows me too well), but he was right. I had skimped on half the ingredients since I had only the other half on hand.

So on the second time around, I decided to shop ahead for some things and follow Mr. Ripert’s recipe a bit more diligently. The local market still lacked a few things, but I made sure that the showcase ingredients (like the fennel that I previously omitted) got featured. And yes, for this dish, it made a difference.

Ripert’s recipe decidedly calls for a chicken palliard – thinly pounded meat which cooks very quickly. I completed this step the first time through, but the second – we had just returned home from an afternoon hike and were sooooo hungry that I simply threw the chicken breasts into the dutch oven. Thus, I must give up any claim to a palliard in the recipe title. But it’s okay. Since I reduced the number of chicken breasts in the recipe by half, the tomatoes and booze soaked prunes provided so much moisture that the cooked but un-pounded chicken remained tender and juicy.

1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence, or the leaves of 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 teaspoons pimenton (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Place vegetable mix on top of chicken breasts and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 230 degrees C (~450 degrees F). Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of a dutch oven or baking dish and place chicken inside.

In a mixing bowl combine onions, garlic, tomatoes, fennel, green olives, prunes, pine nuts, herbs de Provence, pimenton and capers. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Next, cover the chicken with the vegetable/herb mixture and drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the chicken and serve; I accompanied each chicken breast with a scoop of hearty quinora.

I’m in absolute adoration of this dish for not only for the wonderfully melded flavors, but ease in preparation. On a hungry evening, rustic dishes that involve only a bit of chopping, my beloved dutch oven, and some bake time amount to pure luxury.

Like this:

Browsing the many beautiful holiday posts this weekend has turned me into a bit of a sweet-toothed little monster. The pies, the cakes, the cookies, the crumbles – I’ve been salivating since Thursday. Being in Spain and far removed from all things Thanksgiving has helped to curb overindulgence a bit – there are no turkeys; there are no pumpkins; there are plenty of pecans but without the pie.

I stayed good up until this afternoon.

The train of events went something like this: read a great post on coconut macaroons, linked to another baking blog explaining coconut flour, and the last glorious stop – Elena’s Pantry recipe for gluten-free strawberry cupcakes. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any strawberries on hand; nor did I have cupcake liners; the coconut required a bit of work (I only had shredded coconut in my pantry); and I’m not a big cream nor heavy icing fan. After some minor tweaking, I ended up with these delicious and incredibly moist coconut-lime mini-cakes!

Using a food processor, pulse shredded coconut until it obtains a finer grain

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (375 degrees F) and grease or line muffin tins. If using shredded coconut, place in food processor and pulse for a few minutes to obtain a finer grain. The shredded coconut will be less dense than a pure coconut flour that is finely milled. Thus, double the amount used to 1/2 pint (1 cup).

Combine dry ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until combined. I happened to run out of agave syrup mid recipe and thus, compensated the rest with honey.

Finally, fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mix; add lime zest/juice and combine. Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes. Once finished, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cakes. The toothpick should come out cleanly.

Let the mini (cup) cakes cool for 1 hour and enjoy!

cakes with coconut whip cream

I first attempted to top the little cakes with a bit of coconut “whip cream”. But on my second helping, I found that the cakes were much better enjoyed cleanly and simply with a few slices of sweet banana to perfectly complement the freshness of the lime and warmth of the coconut.

Like this:

Three-quarters of a big head of napa cabbage has sat planted in my fridge for the past few days. Over the weekend, I shredded and mixed one-fourth of the cabbage into a meat filling used for a Chinese dumpling “test-run”. The dumplings are still a work in progress – the dough has been tricky – but hopefully, it’ll be perfected by Christmas. Reasons for the deadline – hubby had proudly (so sweet) but a bit overzealously (so eager) promised my in-laws a holiday dumpling feast without knowing that, without the availability of pre-made wrappers, I am dumpling handicapped. Practice in this case, however, is really making perfect. (Hubby’s also getting pretty good at rolling dough.) So stay tuned, bloggable dumplings coming soon!

But back to the napa. A lot of napa.

Napa, with its big cylindrical shape and heavy leaves, takes up a lot of space in a small European sized refrigerator. It is, however, quite versatile. One head, as I’ve now garnered from experience, can go towards many different uses. I weighed my options accordingly. Kimchi? Too much time. A Salad? Too chilly of a day. I settled on a quick braise and in one fell swoop, reclaimed entitled real estate. Triumph.

Braised Napa Cabbage (makes 5-6 side servings)

Ingredients:

one head of napa cabbage

2 gloves garlic, minced

1 small bulb of ginger, peeled and cut into very thin, skinny strips

2 red Thai chili peppers (spiciness optional), diced.

1 bunch of green scallions, chopped

olive oil

Sauce:

4-5 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

2 tablespoons sherry

1 teaspoon agave syrup

3 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons Kuzu (natural thickener from Kuzu plant; cornstarch can also be substituted)

Rough chop cabbage into ~5 cm (2 inch) pieces; discard cabbage core. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large wok or skillet and heat over high heat. Next, add cabbage to the hot pan. Since one head of cabbage yields quite a bit, work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan – about 4 batches for a medium sized napa. Cook, constantly stirring, until leaves begin to slightly brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add more oil in between batches if necessary.

Once the last batch of cabbage is finished and removed, add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the empty pan over medium-high heat. Cook minced garlic, ginger, scallions, and chill peppers, stirring continuously, until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add sauce and heat through for 1 minute, stirring to thicken. Finally, place cooked cabbage back into the pan and reheat with the sauce; mix to coat all the leaves. Cook for 5-6 minutes.

Alongside the cabbage, I made some pan fried shrimp with a fragrant, fresh ground Sichuan peppercorn and sea-salt rub (thanks for the suggestion, Conor!).

So happy after a light and healthy lunch. Moreover, so happy to have my refrigerator space back!

Today my sister left me a comment regarding a different post that pointed me to Eric Ripert’s website. I’ve always been a big Ripert fan – his food is beautiful; his “Top Chef” comments are smart; and his suave French accent seems to make everything all the more elegant. To my grateful surprise, Ripert’s site contained some of his easier recipes – he places emphasis on using quality and seasonal ingredients alongside simple methods for great cooking.

Paging through the website, Ripert’s recipe for Cauliflower “Cous Cous” caught my eye. Actually, I wished that I had stumbled upon it much earlier – like – earlier this year at the beginnings of our household’s semi-Paleo-dieting. I’ve made cauliflower rice now many times over, each time trimming off florets and chopping the cauliflower as fine as possible. Considering the crumbliness of cauliflower, it’s a relatively easy task and turns out pretty good each and every time. Ripert’s recipe, however, suggests the use of a food processor for the cauliflower.

But of course, a food processor!! Why had I not thought of that before?

Because I am but a novice most days and Ripert… well, Ripert is a god.

The ability of the food processor to finely cut gets the cauliflower down to the size of actual cous cous grains and results in an unbelievably light, amazingly fluffy cauliflower. My husband actually asked, ” Are we eating rice?”

Ripert’s original recipe for this vegetarian dish calls for market vegetables and features argan oil for the vinaigrette. Though I had intended to do my morning farmer’s market run at the beginning of the week, the recent torrential rain had scared off all the vendors; despite a blocked off street in Calvia, Monday’s market never happened. Thus, in addition to a head of cauliflower, I used what I had on hand – some spinach, organic carrots, and sweet sun dried tomatoes that I had purchased during a previous market trip. I also substituted grape seed oil for the argan.

Julienne carrots into small thin strips; place cauliflower florets into food processor and pulse until it obtains a couscous like size and consistency.

Remove florets from cauliflower and pulse in food processor until cauliflower obtains a couscous like size and texture. Place cauliflower into a large saute pan; add enough water to cover just the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is cooked through and most of the water has evaporated (about 5-7 minutes). Drain, season with lemon juice and olive oil, and set aside.

Next, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet, heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, turn off the heat and add spinach and sun dried tomatoes. Using tongs, turn the spinach leaves over a few times in the skillet until the leaves are just wilted. The sun dried tomatoes, along for the ride, should also warm up nicely. Once finished, place the spinach and tomatoes in a separate bowl, and add the raw, julienned carrots.

In another bowl, whisk together ingredients for the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste. Following, add enough vinaigrette to just coat the vegetables once tossed and mixed.

To plate individually – place cauliflower couscous at the center of a dish. Ripert uses a 4-inch ring mold to keep things nice and neat; I packed my cauliflower into a small espresso cup, inverted the cup onto a plate, and then flattened the dome of “couscous” just a tiny bit afterwards. Next, arrange dressed vegetables on top of the cauliflower; drizzle some additional vinaigrette and serve.

For those that are gluten intolerant or reducing processed carb intake, cauliflower can be easily used as a rice substitute and seasoning can be varied. With the use of a food processor, however, the cauliflower becomes completely transformed and almost deliciously unrecognizable… merci, Eric!

As I shop for my weekly list of superfoods for breakfast, I am well received by warm and friendly smiles and greetings. Many have grown accustomed to seeing me, like my strawberry purveyor – in turn, I reciprocate with a warm hello and ask how he is doing.

After we briefly chat, I ask “Can I get a basket of your sweetest and ripest strawberries?” I like to think he gives me the best basket he’s got. And as an added bonus – he always gives me a handful of extra berries, which always keeps me coming back.

Each and every weekday, Lolo and I begin our mornings with a light and healthy breakfast – it doesn’t leave us feeling heavy and weighed down. It’s the perfect way to start the day. I’m a big proponent of eating well to live better. I suppose Lolo and I are one of the few lucky people who genuinely enjoy eating healthy.

Living in the Los Angeles area, there is always have an abundance of fresh fruits available. Fortunately, I am able to buy our staples on a year-round basis, and toss in seasonal fruit to keep things interesting.

The medley of fruits I usually include: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.

At the moment, the Golden kiwi (yellow fleshed) has recently made its debut. It’s a seasonal fruit, and its end is drawing near.

The flesh is wonderfully sweet, mild and a golden yellow – less tart than the green variety. I think it tastes more tropical. Sadly, I picked up the last few left at the supermarket yesterday. If not, the green kiwi is always available.

Wash all fruits. I usually wash the kiwi too, even though skin is peeled. Cut kiwi and strawberries the same size as other berries, slice blackberries in half or into thirds depending on size of fruit. Chop walnuts.

Like this:

To idle at a cafe with a big hot coffee in one hand and a book in the other is one of my most simple and self indulgent pleasures. Last weekend, this indulgence expanded to a creamy cafe con leche, one beautiful piece of apple tart, and David Lebowitz’s wonderfully and wittily written, “The Sweet Life in Paris.”The admittedly near perfect morning could only have been better if I was sitting in Paris rather than Palma.

I’m in complete adoration of Lebovitz’s book. Much of what the former Chez Panisse chef so candidly describes about his move and transition to life in Paris, I relate to in regards to my own move from California to Spain. I really have to try hard to control my laughs and giggles while reading each chapter: shopping for the perfect laundry drying rack; squeezing into small kitchens, small bathrooms; figuring out small ovens and small everythings; a non-existence of customer service (the complete inversion of America’s “customer is always right”); and even comments on eating etiquette. Having been in Spain long enough, I’ve tempered my impatience waiting for jeans to hang dry outside; I’m now used to the sight of undies hanging from neighboring balconies and windowsills; and I can’t, for the life of me, gracefully eat using a fork in my left hand and knife in my right – I consistently and foolishly miss my mouth.

Lebovitz’s comedic stories of cultural differences and eventual adaptation are interspersed with some extremely tempting recipes. Turning the page to find one for a delicious sounding chicken tagine, I immediately reached into my purse and blindly grabbed for pen and paper to make the shopping list. With hubby finally home from work and travel, it would be *the* recipe for a welcome back dinner.

Toast almonds in skillet until they begin to brown; in a separate bowl, soak apricots in boiling water

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (375 F). In the meantime, place apricots into a bowl and soak in boiling water, set aside. In a separate bowl, toss chicken with the spice mixture. I used a picante Spanish pimenton rather than regular paprika to add a bit of a kick.

Next, over medium-high heat, melt butter in a Dutch oven. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes; turn pieces to release fragrance from the spices. Pour in stock, add cilantro, and cover. Place into oven and bake for 50 minutes, turning the chicken once in between.

Once finished, remove from oven. Take the chicken pieces out and transfer to a deep serving platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Return the Dutch oven to the stovetop, add honey and lemon juice. Over medium-high heat, cook until the sauce has reduced about one-third; add additional salt to taste.

Finally, place chicken back into the sauce mixture, add almonds, and reheat for a few minutes. Once reheated, transfer everything back into the serving dish and top with the apricots (drained).

The tagine creates not only perfectly tender chicken, but a very tasty sauce. Though it can be served with rice or couscous, I made an easy and gluten free cauliflower “rice” to serve alongside.

Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 head of cauliflower

3-4 tablespoons of good olive oil

salt and black ground pepper

1-2 tablespoons of cumin

Shred, chop, and crumble cauliflower into very small pieces to resemble a rice-like size and texture. Line large rectangular baking dish with foil and spread cauliflower inside. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, and toss, re-spreading cauliflower again afterwards. Bake for 20 minutes at 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) or until cauliflower is just beginning to brown.

Like this:

One food, I utterly enjoy to the highest level of satisfaction are SOFT boiled eggs – I like my yolks runny, along side a few paper-thin slices of the velvety, melt in your mouth salt-cured pork, better known as prosciutto di Parma. This is what I consider eating at its finest! It doesn’t take much to keep my tummy and I happy –Lolo never seems to mind either.

For this dish, I always get the freshest eggs possible – salmonella poisoning is not good. I usually pick up eggs on my Sunday trip to the farmers market. These eggs are smaller and more flavorful than the jumbo ones at the supermarket. They are laid by black Silkie chickens. Ah, they are the cutest little birds ever. They make ideal pets because of their temperament. I wish we had a bigger backyard. How great to have a pet and in return get fresh laid eggs – everyday!

Although I serve this course as a starter, by all means, this can hold its own weight as a wonderful Sunday breakfast or brunch. I would just add a bit more prosciutto, another egg, and fresh fruit.

I start by cutting the top off the egg with my nifty little egg cutter. For the first bite, a touch of flaky Maldon sea salt is lightly crumbled atop the egg, as I then quickly plunge in my spoon. Then for my second bite, I tuck a small piece of prosciutto into the exposed pool of yolk and scoop out a bit of everything with a piece of toasted baguette – pure decadence. I have memories of hating yolk when I was young, not really sure how and when things changed. Before I know it – it’s all gone! Normally, I’m a very slow eater (I’m sure most people can attest to this statement). This is one of the only foods that I gobble down faster than Lolo. There’s no sharing here – well… unless I absolutely have to.

Directions:
In a small saucepan, fill with cold water and add teaspoon salt. Gently set eggs in water, cover with lid. Be sure to completely submerge egg in water. Heat pan at medium-high until water comes to a boil. Remove pan from heat with lid on; leave in water for 3 minutes, not any longer than. The white should be firm and yolk runny.

Like this:

The forecast for the week had been rain, rain, and more rain, so while the sun was still lingering, I trudged over to the weekly Calvia farmers market. Calvia, the “big” village next door, holds its market every Monday. Situated on a blocked off side street and up a fairly steep incline, the market is a bit of a hodgepodge – cheap clothing, assorted leather goods, handmade jewellery, Esponja Boba (i.e. Spongebob) undies, and odds and ends towards the bottom of the hill; fresh produce, jamon, cheeses, sausages, olives, and all other edible goodies at the top. I suppose one has to earn the good stuff.

I came home with four beautiful cherimoyas priced at 1.95 euros per kilo. What a steal! In the States, these prized tropical fruits sometimes sell for upwards of $8 USD per pound (nearly $16 per kilo). Did I miss something? And should I have hoarded more??

I’ve grown up with parents who are enamored with the fruit. My Dad tends to the cherimoya tree in his California backyard with enormous attention and care, even pollinating the flowers by hand to ensure a good bounty. Having one for dessert, especially off the tree, was something very special.

The fruit, despite its alien appearance, is creamy; almost overly sweet (honey, banana, apple, pineapple flavors); and has a custard-like consistency. It’s best enjoyed by simply slicing in half and spooning out the inner flesh. To spit out the large black seeds – gracefully, however, takes some practice.

Slice in half and eat the inner flesh... but be sure to spit the seeds out

So back to my prized market stash. After coming home, lovingly setting down my cherimoyas, and doing a bit of reading, I learned that cherimoyas are actually grown in abundance in Spain, especially along the Mediterranean coast. With near ideal temperatures for the fruit, Malaga and Granada alone contain 3000 hectares of cultivated fruit trees. October signified the start of the cherimoya season and supposedly Spain is so overrun with these fruits that farmers and consumers alike are not quite sure what to do with it all. The fruits also do not keep for long once picked, maybe a week at best once ripened and refrigerated.